I’m no stranger to Buffalo Trace and I’m no stranger to the single barrels of its bigger brothers Eagle Rare and Blanton’s. What I am a stranger to are releases of Buffalo Trace Single Barrel – at least I was until K&L got theirs in last year. If you’re curious to try it I regret to inform you that it’s no longer available for purchase, which might beg the question “then why are you reviewing it?” To which my answer would be… why not?
The underlying reasoning to that is also a desire to once again touch upon something that I say every time I review a store select barrel. To reinforce the idea of going out and trying these local selections because you never know what you’re going to find. Sometimes they’re better than the typical release, sometimes they’re worse (rare) and sometimes (like here) they’re just as good, but in a different way. Things like this expose the nuances of the brand and help paint a more robust picture of what the distillery is capable of producing. Another brick in the road of your whiskey journey.
K&L Buffalo Trace Single Barrel Info
Region: Kentucky, USA
Distiller: Buffalo Trace
Cask: New charred oak
Age: NAS
ABV: 45%
Cask: 79
Lot: 4320
Price: $25
K&L Buffalo Trace Single Barrel Review
EYE
Caramel with orange hints
NOSE
Caramel, spice, corn, vanilla, a complex dark fruit and oak combine with butterscotch, citrus and a haunting bit of acetone to create a nose that is sweet without being cloying and fun to sit and sniff.
PALATE
Caramel, butterscotch, brown sugar, toasted nuts, oak and that same complex dark fruit work together to create a dark sweet flavor that is everything you want in a bourbon and then it gives you more by adding some great notes of pepper and leather.
FINISH
Rich velvety caramel gives way to oak, vanilla and a dark heavy sweetness that fades on a long, slow and trailing finish.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
A bit oak heavy, but not enough to throw it off and maintains a good balance. Thick and heavy with an overall smooth character that screams sipping bourbon.
OVERALL
K&L picked out one hell of a Buffalo Trace Single Barrel. It’s smooth, rich and aggressive in all the right ways. The heavy oak that runs through the nose, palate and finish give the bourbon an overall nice essence that keeps me coming back for more. It’s enough of a difference and enough of level up over the regular Buffalo Trace that it’s worth another point. These guys always seem to snag cherry barrels so their single barrel stuff is definitely worth watching for.
SCORE: 91/100
